A magazine loading type disk player is known, for example, in Japanese Patent Unexamined Publication No. 61-261853. This type of disk player has: a playing means including a turntable and a pickup; and a magazine mount portion for removably mounting a magazine which acts as a disk accommodating portion and which includes a housing and a plurality of plate-like trays for carrying disks on the main surfaces thereof, respectively. The plate-like trays are arranged within the housing so as to be capable of being projected from and retracted into the housing. In such a magazine loading disk player, a selected one of the disks is conveyed from the magazine to the turntable by moving the disk in the following two directions; a direction parallel to the disk-carrying surface of the turntable and a direction perpendicular thereto. More specifically, the trays are arranged in the magazine in the direction perpendicular to the disk-carrying surface of the turntable. The playing means, including the turntable, is mounted on a predetermined supporting member, and the supporting member is driven to reciprocate in the direction of arrangement of the trays instead of movement of the disks in the direction perpendicular to the disk-carrying surface of the turntable. On the other hand, the movement of the disks in the direction parallel to the disk-carrying surface of the turntable is carried out by projecting the tray, carrying the desired disk, from the magazine.
Various proposals have been made on means for moving the playing means, together with the supporting member supporting the playing means, in the direction of arrangement of the trays as described above. One of the proposals is disclosed in Japanese Patent Unexamined Publication No. 61-261853. The proposal suggests a configuration in which a flat plate-like cam body, which is provided with a stepping cam portion slidably engaged with the supporting member, is driven to reciprocate. In the aforementioned configuration, the cam portion is shaped like steps. Accordingly, there arises a problem in that the supporting member supporting the playing means intermittently operates rapidly to thereby generate a relatively large amount of noise in operation. Further, a large space is required for making such a large flat plate-like cam body reciprocate. Accordingly, there arises a problem to be solved for the purpose of reducing the overall size of the entire player.
On the other hand, the following configuration has been used widely, in which a feed screw is provided so as to be extended in the direction of arrangement of the trays and the supporting member, carrying the playing means, is fastened to the feed screw. With such a configuration, the playing means is moved in the direction of arrangement of the trays through rotation of the feed screw. However, the driving operation utilizing such a feed screw is so slow in operational speed that there arises a problem in that the speed in the disk conveying operation cannot be improved. Further, the frictional force of the feed screw is so large that a high load is imposed. Accordingly, there arises a problem in that a driving source having a large output power is required.
To avoid the problems caused by use of the above-mentioned cam body and feed screw, the following configuration has been proposed as disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Nos. 63-193371 and 1-184658. That is, the playing means is supported by cross-links so that the playing means is moved in the direction of arrangement of the trays by the operation of the cross-links.